~ Feed the Hungry, Quench Thirst, Clothe the Naked, Heal the Sick & Visit the Imprisoned, Take in the Stranger ~ Matthew 25:35-36 ~ Obey God Rather Than Men!

Search:

Daniel 70 Weeks

Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy

When looking at prophecy, you have to ask yourself, why was it written. So many prophecies seem to be written in a way that is very difficult to understand, and if we can’t understand them why are they there? We first have to ask ourselves- Am I seeking out God, and am I prayerfully studying and searching the holy scriptures? In order for anyone to understand God’s mysteries, they have to seek them. If you don’t seek, you don’t find- it’s simple as that. Jesus instructed us to do the opposite- Seek and you shall find!

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. ~ 2 Timothy 2:15

Looking to Daniel’s 70 week prophecy, this is a vital prophecy in Christianity today. Many Christians use this prophecy to explain their end times doctrines, so of course it is vitally important to get it right. Many Christians instead of seeking, rely on the testimony of their fathers generation after generation without even attempting to seek the truth by a connection with God the Father through Jesus the Son. Those that aren’t truly seeking, probably won’t even have read this far on this page. When we are connected with God, he reveals His mysteries to us constantly. The only way to get this right, is to prayerfully study the scriptures and history, and allow God to lead you to what he wants you to see. This page is designed to help in your research of this prophecy, and we advise you to do the research on your own. Let’s start by reading Daniels 70 week prophecy. It can be found in Daniel 9:24-27:

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. ~ Daniel 9:24-27

There are many questions that must be answered to understand this prophecy:

What time period was Daniel living in?

What People is he referring to?

When was the commandment to restore and rebuild Israel?

What Holy City is he speaking of?

What does 70 Weeks mean- what period of time?

What does 7 weeks and three score and 2 weeks mean?

What does 3 score and 2 weeks mean?

When was the wall of the city rebuilt?

Who is the Messiah?

What is the covenant that is confirmed for a week?

What causes sacrifice to cease?

DANIELS TIME PERIOD:

Daniel was living in the time of the Babylonian captivity. At this time, Jerusalem was already attacked by the Babylonians, and the temple of Solomon was destroyed. He wrote these things somewhere around 560BC.

WHAT PEOPLE IS HE REFERRING TO?:

Daniel was Jewish, and the prophecy was given for “his (thy) people”, so they are talking about the Jews. 70 weeks are determined for the Jews.

WHEN WAS THE COMMANDMENT TO RESTORE AND REBUILD ISRAEL?:

There were three decrees to rebuild, so it is vital that we pick the correct decree. Jeremiah had prophecied many years earlier that the Israelites would return to Jerusalem. He said: God had promised, “After seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place” ~ Jeremiah 29:10

1. Decree of Cyrus 536BC –

Based on the prophecy of Jeremiah, many years later in Ezra 1:1-4, there was a decree from Cyrus:

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.~ Ezra 1:1-4

This decree was issued in the year 536BC. This is a decree to rebuild the temple “house of God”, but not a command to “restore and rebuild” Jerusalem as a whole. To restore Jerusalem, they would have to restore the whole city, and the power of the Jews to rule over their people there. This decree doesn’t fit Daniel’s prophecy.

2. Decree of Darius I 520BC– This can be found recorded in Ezra 6:1-12:

Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. ~ Ezra 6:7-8

Again this is a decree to restore the temple of God, but not a complete restoration of Jerusalem.

3. Decree of Artzxerxes I (Longimanus) 457BC– This can be found in Ezra 7:25-26. Ezra was authorized by the King as a priest and scribe to return to Jerusalem and to restore the Jewish system based on the laws of God. He was also given gold and silver to furnish the temple, and was told that the King’s treasurers in Jerusalem would give him whatever he needed to beautify God’s house.

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.~ Ezra 7:25-26

While the building began, the city was in now way being restored until Ezra received this command from the King in 457 BC. This decree fulfils Daniels prophecy, as this is the only decree of the three that involves restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem to what it was before.

WHAT HOLY CITY IS HE REFERRING TO?

We can surmise that the holy city he is referring to is the holy city of the Jews, Jerusalem. This is the capital of the Israelites promised land, and remained the holy city for the Jews ever since.

WHAT DOES THE TIME PERIOD OF 70 WEEKS MEAN?

Seeing that we are looking at a time period beginning in 457BC, and we are referring to the coming of the Messiah, I think that we can all agree that 70 weeks doesn’t mean 70 actual weeks. We know that the Messiah didn’t come a little over a year after the rebuilding of Jerusalem so that just doesn’t fit. Looking to the bible, there are a few places that allude to a day=year principle. See the following verses (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6-7). If we apply the day=year principle to 70 weeks, we get- 70 weeks = 490 days = 490 years.

WHAT DOES 7 WEEKS & THREE SCORE WEEKS & TWO WEEKS MEAN?

Again using the day=year principle we can figure this out. Also understand that in the bible, a “score”=20. Doing the addition- 7 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 2 = 69 weeks. 69 weeks = 483 days = 483 years.

WHAT DOES THREE SCORE AND TWO WEEKS MEAN?

Using again the same day=year principle, and the fact that a score=20, doing the addition we find- 20 + 20 + 20 + 2 = 62 weeks. 62 weeks = 434 days = 434 years.

WHEN WAS THE WALL OF THE CITY REBUILT?

The dates are vague on this, some encyclopedia sources say that the wall was completed around 404-408BC, others have dated the wall to the 5th centure BCE. Dates aren’t as conclusive on this topic as others.

WHO IS THE MESSIAH?

This of course is the only Messiah known to come from the Jewish lineage- Jesus Christ himself. He was originally the Messiah for the Jews, but became the Messiah for all. (NOTE: Jesus was actually born in 3BC according to recent discoveries and records of the kings of His time)

WHAT IS THE COVENANT CONFIRMED FOR A WEEK?

We can find clear evidence in the bible that Jesus came to confirm the covenant of the Jews. Let’s take a look:

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers ~ Romans 15:8

WHAT CAUSED THE SACRIFICE TO CEASE?

In the Old Testament, there were the ten commandments, and then there were the sacrifical laws that were added because of the transgressions of the people. These were daily sacrifices, and then once a year the high priest would offer a sacrifice to God for the transgressions of all of the people. When Jesus died, he caused the sacrifice to cease because he bore the sins of all men. There was no longer a need for the sacrifice, or the sacrificial laws.

With this understanding let’s read the prophecy again, and insert what we know (underlined):

490 Yearsare determined upon the Jewsand upon Jerusalem, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem(457 BC) unto the Coming of Jesusshall be 483 Years (NOTE: This comes to 26/27AD, the approximate time that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times (Wall rebuilt in 404-408BC). And after 434 Yearsshall Jesus be cut off (434 Years from when the wall was rebuilt assuming 404BC comes to the year 30/31AD, the approximate time Jesus was crucified), but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. (The city and the sanctuary were sacked and destroyed in 70AD by the Romans, and this was predicted by Jesus himself to come). And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week(Jesus confirmed the covenant with the Jews beginning with his ministry after his baptism. His ministry focused on the Jews only, and rarely did he reach out to the Gentiles, only in cases where the Gentiles were seeking him in faith. This covenant lasted until approximately 3 years after Jesus death when the gospel was finally brought to the Gentiles. This is the last week of Daniel’s 70 weeks): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease (in 30AD Jesus sacrificed himself putting an end to all Sacrificial laws and causing sacrifice to cease. Seeing that the beginning of the last week was around 26/27AD and the end of the last week will be around 33/34AD, this is in the middle or midst of the week), and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Because of the abominations of the Jewish people, came the abomination of desolation where Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans, and the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Jesus himself warned that this would come and instructed the people that when they see the armies surrounding the city, to flea for the mountains and turn back for nothing. Those that were Christ’s believers in 70 AD escaped the destruction of Jerusalem by following Jesus instructions. At the end of the 70 weeks, around 33/34 AD Salvation was finally offered to the Gentiles after the death of Deacon Stephen. You can read in Acts that as he was being stoned, the Jews laid their tunics at the feet of Saul, who soon after became the Apostle Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles. The days prophecied for the Jews alone was completed at the end of the 70 weeks) ~ Daniel 9:24-27

Do you see the importance of this prophecy? It tells us with precision exactly when the Jews could expect the Messiah, Jesus Christ to come. This wasn’t understood at the time of Christ, but can be understood now as we look upon history and compare. The important thing to understand, is that this prophecy has been fulfilled. Many Christians believe that the last week of this 70 weeks hasn’t happened, or won’t come until the end times, and they call it a final 7 year tribulation period. I urge you to study and search the scriptures so that you can see the truth, and so that you know what to expect in these end times. The above picture is a quick simple example of what this prophecy contains. Below is another chart describing a widely accepted doctrine in many Christian churches, a doctrine that doesn’t seem to match up with Daniel’s prophecy. For some reason they’ve inserted a gap of thousands of years between the 69th week and the 70th week, something that can’t be substantiated or confirmed by any biblical scripture.

The end times events that are getting ready to unfold may catch many by surprise, and for this reason it is more important than ever to prayerfully search the scriptures, connect with God through Jesus Christ and pray that you can see what you will need to know for the coming days. According to the bible, the events of the end time are very different than what the majority believe. Remember, narrow is the way that leads to God’s kingdom. There are many other prophecies throughout the bible that will help us to understand our future, and we pray that you “seek” what God wants you to see.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

18 thoughts on “Daniel 70 Weeks”

Hello:
So if there isn’t a thousand year gap (regarding last seven years), what does this mean for the church? Where do we stand right now? In your opinion then, does this mean that the final war (Armageddon) could happen at any time now, without waiting for a seven year tribulation? Thanks, Lora

Hi Lora, thanks for visiting the page. The 7 year “tribulation period” idea that is so widely accepted today in Christianity, actually originated with the Jesuit Order (The Roman Catholic Church). They manipulated this 70 week prophecy to make it seem like there is a huge undetermined gap between the first 69 weeks, and the last single week. You can see after studying the prophecy that it has already been fulfilled, all 70 weeks of it. Christians today are looking for things like a “mid-east peace treaty” to initiate this 7 years of tribulation. Many Christians believe that there will be a “secret rapture” before this 7 year period so that no good Christian will have to go through this tribulation. All of these assumptions aren’t biblical, and the bible account actually reveals that the end times saints WILL have to endure the final tribulation. What I’m saying is that end times events have already begun taking place and will increase in number and devistation, just as Jesus taught. The rapture is a public event, and all of the world witnesses it in the end (SEE THE RAPTURE PAGE OF THIS SITE for biblical references). Christians today aren’t prepared to endure tribulation, yet it is coming and we all must endure it. Persecution is also coming for those that remain obedient to God’s commandments, and war is coming upon the world at levels never before seen. The 7 year tribulation story eases the minds of many Christians, yet now is the time to be prepared and watching, not relaxed and dependent upon a “secret rapture” that was never prophesied to take place. I encourage you to read a few pages for bible references- The Rapture, The Mark of the Beast, Identifying the Antichrist, God’s New Covenant, Daniel 7 Prophecy, Daniel 8 Prophecy, Woman Clothed with the Sun, and Why Follow the Commandments. Those that will endure the tribulation successfully, are those that are armed with knowledge of God’s word, and most importantly those that are obedient to it as well. I hope this helps in your journey of learning, and please let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll do my best to answer what I can, you are in my prayers and please keep me in yours. With Love, John

from the explanation given here, the 70 weeks expired around AD 34, if so how come that Jerusalem’s destruction which should be within the 70 weeks took place in AD 70? this means interpretation is wrong.

It does not say in the prophecy that the judgment will fall straight away on the Jews and the city, only that it will happen and that it is determined and shall be poured on the desolate. Sentencing and the execution of the sentence usually have a time difference. Christ said it would happen in the generation he spoke to (within 40 years.)
This explanation is right apart from I believe it was Jewish years that it was measured in, which is in line with Nehemiah’s commandment to specifically rebuild the city. So it is from 445-444BC but ends at Stephens stoning and Israel’s cutting for rejecting the testimony of the Holy Ghost. But the author of the post is right in that the prophecy is indeed fulfilled. I do not approve of using the pictures though, particularly pictures of The Lord; this is idolatry and conveys ideas of Christ that are wrong (such as the long hair.)

Daniel chapt 9, v24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. That commandment of God through the angel Gabriel clearly states that at the end of the 70th week, righteousness through the ending of sin would be there… I don’t see such things today, plus Jews are rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and it looks like History will repeat itself. Israel is surrounded by countries which desire is to annihilate them. The US are clearly abandoning Israel and PM Netanyahu said in his recent speech at the UN that Israel would have to defend itself against a nuclear Iran if they feel threatened.

I mean History turns around Israel and Jews and today more than ever. It is obvious that the prophecies of Daniel are not completely fulfilled.

Daniel Chapt 12, v 4The prophetic book of Daniel was written for our time. Its prophecies speak with increased meaning to this generation. The angel Gabriel specifically told Daniel to “seal up” these prophecies until the “time of the end.” All Christians regardless of their beliefs concerning the Rapture, the 70 weeks etc will acknowledge that we are the last generation living in the last days.

So if the book was to be sealed until our modern age, it seems quite fair to believe that the last week, the 70th week is to be completed in our times. The prophecies of Daniel are not all fulfilled already.

Concerning the Rapture, what do you think of these verses “…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
1 Thessalonians 1:10

“Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” Isaiah 26:19-21.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.Luke 21:36

There is no other place than Heaven to hide from the wrath of God. Nowhere on Earth will we be safe if the Rapture hasn’t had taken us away. The greek word for Rapture is Harpazo and is find many times in the bible, Harpazo meaning being caught up, vanished, taking away.

Thanks for your comments! These are all fair statements you are making- let me explain what I’ve seen in prayerful study of the scriptures. To start out- you mention the text- “70 weeks are determined for your people”. The people of Daniel were the Jewish people, and this 70 weeks prophecy pertains to them. As you follow the timeline presented on this page- you can see that the 70 weeks were completed when the time of the Jews was complete, and the gospel was brought to the Gentiles. The 70 weeks culminates with Jesus, the sacrifice for sin to bring about a New Covenant, where we are now able to walk in the Spirit in righteousness. The “New Creation” walks in everlasting righteousness, and began with Christ. The idea that the 70th week doesn’t see fulfillment until the end, comes from a Jesuit Priest of the 1500’s named Francisco Ribera. He created what is today known as the “Futurist Interpretation” and he is the one that first purposed that the 70th week happens at the end. Martin Luther had identified the Catholic Church as the antichrist, and the Jesuits Order was created to take the pressure off of the Catholic Church and draw protestants back to them. Please look him up and consider this. This portion of Daniel’s prophecies has already seen fulfillment. You probably wonder about deliverance, and I’ll talk about that in a sec.

As for Israel, according to prophecy- they have dire days ahead- see this article- https://youthtruthusa.com/2013/08/27/damascus-witnessing-prophecy-fulfilment/ . You will see in this article that only a remnant of Israel will be left at the coming of Christ. Are the writings of Daniel for our time- absolutely. The 70 weeks prophecy points us to be able to identify when Christ would live and die! This is the time of the Jews fulfilled. The remainder of Daniel is rich in prophecy for our time.

As for being “Delivered” from the days of wrath- absolutely there is prophesied to be a deliverance, but it isn’t what most Christians expect. The prophecies point to a “Second Exodus” similar to the Exodus of Moses where God will protect his people and bring them out with power and might! This prophecy speaks of a remnant- remember, the world has not yet seen a second exodus like what happened with Moses (the following are from this article https://youthtruthusa.com/2013/10/18/prophecy-of-the-end-time-exodus/):

“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked…….. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.” ~ Isaiah 11:1-4, 10-16

and again:

“Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.” ~ Micah 7:14-20

These prophecies have never been fulfilled to this day- and we know that no word of prophecy will return to the Father void. It will be done. This is the deliverance, the chosen people of God will be protected and led, just as those in the times of Moses. In this tribulation, many faithful Christians will die also, and we can’t be ignorant to this fact:

Revelation 14:12-13

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

So you see, in this tribulation, Christian brothers and sisters will die and will rest until the last day when they are risen to life. Only the chosen “Remnant” will live and be led in an Exodus, and that is a blessed position and one we should pray to be in. There is also other evidence that says that God’s chosen will be living through the tribulation in the example below, in the 5th plague of revelation where the scorpions are instructed to only sting those that “DON’T HAVE THE SEAL OF GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS.” These are God’s chosen people, walking the earth during the great tribulation. They will be protected, delivered, etc. I hope this helps Jade- I always welcome your comments and if you ever want to talk- message me or email me!

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

In my understanding according to the scriptures, Christians/the church are advised to be ready, to endure tribulation, to spread the gospel even until the very end, to heal the sick, cast out demons, give to the poor, all of these things a Christian must continue in until their perfection. Mathew 24 speaks of a very loud and open event when speaking on the return of Christ. It doesn’t at all speak of a secret rapture. We must seek to be so in tune with the Holy Spirit that we stand with all love, joy, peace, LONGSUFFERING, gentleness, goodness, faith, and self control even until the very end. Don’t marvel when these things come to pass, for Christ already told us they would! God Bless!

So I think I have a mild understanding of your interpretation but how does this coincide with 2thess-2:3? my guess is that your interpretation does not affect end time prophecy of Revelation. with verse 9:27 timeframe how do you reconcile that to 70ad? How is this accomplished within the textual language of being done in the midst of one week even until the consummation? When and what do you define this consummation? If this is indeed your interpreting why did you ignore the key word “and” in the verse? Also how does this include Steven and the Gentiles and Paul in the timeline of your seemingly super imposed scripture of an unmatched forced puzzle piece theology? Please explain. Also understand I wish to test the spirit according to the scrutiny of scripture not to say I’m a dispensationalist but i will hold fast to sound doctrine. If yours is proven sound then it should also ring in like fashion with early church leaders or at least the likes of Spurgeon. May we seek gods truths and learn of his mysteries in Christ with fear and trembling before our almighty god that we may stand firm in like mind of his gospel in Jesus name. Amen.

Thanks Ryan for your comments. I will do my best to address them. In you reference to 2 Thess 2:3, I am not saying that the Day of the Lord has already passed. The Day of the Lord had been linked to Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy by a Jesuit Priest named Francisco Ribera. He began this doctrine of linking the two, by suggesting an indefinite “gap” between the 69th and the 70th week. Why then wouldn’t God have given Daniel the 200+ weeks prophecy? I am suggesting that this particular prophecy has already been fulfilled in the passing of the baton from the “time of the Jews” to the “time of the Gentiles”, and is not linked to end times prophecy. I don’t reconcile 9:27 as a part of the 70 weeks. It is noted as a desolation that “will come”. The word “consummation” comes from the Hebrew word “Kalah” meaning complete destruction, also referring to this desolation and destruction of the temple where sacrifices were offered. As for “superimposing”, I’d argue that I’m simply sticking to the 70 weeks prophesied to Daniel. At the close of the true and actual 70 weeks, we find on a normal timeline the gospel being brought to the Gentiles. The “time of the Jews” or the 70 weeks determined “upon thy people”, the Jews, came to a close. You can find evidence of this in Romans 11 also. We are now in a time determined for the Gentiles. The Jews are now blinded, until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled. To ad an indefinite gap between the 69th and 70th week is confusion, and much more of a super-imposition of forced puzzle piece theology don’t you think? Suppose God meant what he said, and 70 weeks, meant 70 weeks. When you say “early church leaders”, I don’t think you are referring to Clement, or Polycarp, the first Bishops to follow the Apostles of Christ. This doctrine was foreign to them and never mentioned. The current mainstream “gap” between the 69th and 70th week, was first suggested in the 1500’s (fairly recently) after the departure of Martin Luther from the Catholic Church. Martin Luther identified Catholicism as the “Beast” of Revelation. The Jesuits then began introducing creative “theology” concerning prophecy, in order to point to the beast coming in the future, rather than a beast that was already present. They also created the secret rapture doctrine, a doctrine completely unfounded in scripture. I encourage you to research these things, as you will see the confusion that has been planted in the churches today. Read the Word of God as it is presented, all theology aside, prayerfully, and let God’s Holy Spirit lead you my friend. Thanks again for your comments, and I hope I was able to answer your questions sufficiently. Feel free to contact me via email or phone as well brother. With Love, John

2 Thessalonians
Chapter 2 clearly states that there is no rapture. Wake up people.

1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

This is the true meaning of the 70.weeks. coming from my book entitled the Eternal Good News Chapter FIVE
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

THE VISION OF THE 70 WEEKS

Having known Babylon the Great City of the Book of Revelation to be that adulteress Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Roman Empire in AD 70, let us look for the meaning and functions of the 70 visionary weeks restoration period that was given to the Jews after serving 70 years in the Babylonian captivity. For it holds a key position in understanding the visions and prophecies of the Bible. We should also know the full duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles that took over from the 70 visionary weeks restoration period and the meaning of the phrase “the Great and Terrible day of the Lord,” since they are also important. (Joel 2 28- 32)
This Chapter treats the 70 visionary weeks restoration period, the next Chapter treats the duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles and Chapter seven treats “the Great and Terrible day of the Lord”.

The two Groups of People and the two Sets of Times

Since the establishment of the Jews as a nation, when God declared to the Israelites that:

“Now if you (the Israelites) obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation.” (Exod.19: 5; 6)

That era marked the beginning of Israel as a distinct nation, hence God having two groups of people in His presence since then. These two groups of people are:

1.) The Jews as one group.
2.) And the rest of the nations as another group, known as the Gentiles.

The Two Sets of Times

There have also been two sets of times since then. They are:
1.) The Jewish Periods.
2.) And the Gentiles Times

These sets of times do not run simultaneously. For, since the establishment of the Jews as nation, the world at any given time is either in a Jewish Period or in a

Gentiles Times.
Jewish Periods

Jewish Periods are times when the Jews relatively have peace, especially when they have their Temple intact. They are times of restorations.

Gentiles Times
Gentiles Times on the other hand, are times of troubles for the Jews. They are times of captivity or oppressions on the Jews by the Gentiles.

These sets of times became very significant when the Jews were about to be defeated and taken into Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian captivity. Just before that captivity, Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews were to go and serve in the Babylonian captivity for 70 years. That 70 years period was a Gentiles time, because it was a time of trouble for the Jews. It was a time of captivity. (Jer 25:11)

The Jews went and served in the Babylonian captivity for 70 years. And when it was about the end of the 70 years, Daniel who was also among his people in captivity, prayed to the Almighty God to remember His promise made through Jeremiah that, they were to serve 70 years in captivity. (Dan. 9: 2- 3)

The Jews were looking forward to the restoration prophesied through Ezekiel in Chapter 37 verse 15 to 28 that promised them of a return to their land as one nation cleansed and be ruled by David (Jesus Christ) the servant of God, with their sanctuary established among them forever.

However, God sent the Angel Gabriel to tell Daniel that, they would certainly go back to their land as said though, yet not in fulfilment of the everlasting order said through Ezekiel, instead for a temporal period of 70 weeks. And this is how the Angel Gabriel put it across to Daniel the prophet in the Book of Daniel Chapter 9 verse 24 to 27.

The 70 visionary Weeks

“70 weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to make an end to sins, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.
Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince comes there will be 7 weeks.
And for 62 weeks the city shall be built with streets and wall but in troublous times. After the 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself. And the people of the Ultimate Ruler will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it will come like flood. War will continue until the end and desolations are decreed. He (the Ultimate Ruler) will confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of a week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abomination he shall cause the desolation, even until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

Secular History in Contrast with Daniel’s Eyewitness Accounts

The interpretation of this vision is very important. Because, it takes us back into history Before Christ’s Death, and gives an eyewitness account of the Medo/Persian history, which is more or less in contrast with the accounts of the Medo/Persian Empire written down by secular historians who were not eyewitnesses but lived years afterwards.

Besides, the accuracies of Pre-Christ dates (Before Christ) given by secular historians are very questionable, due to the fact that there has not been any accurate date of birth of Christ, which is used as hub of dates (BC and AD). Again, one wonders how the historians who lived before Christ, knew the number of years between them and the birth of Christ, a man they knew nothing about and was born years after their deaths.

On the other hand, one wonders how their counterparts who live after Christ are so sure of Pre-Christ dates, when up to date, no one can tell the date of birth of Christ, which is used as hub of dates (BC and AD). More so, even Bible, which predicted the coming of Christ, gave time setting in respect not to his birth, which would have justified the axiom that is Before Christ, but to his death, Which was given as 62 visionary weeks from the commencement of the 70 visionary weeks. (Dan. 9: 26)
This makes it easier to assume when Christ was killed rather than when he was born. So there is no way that secular histories before Christ and their timing could have been accurate, because their source of information were from people who lived years after those events and their timing, hub on the birth of Christ, the actual date, which no body can tell. So, it is of great importance to know these facts.

There are two things, if one chooses to believe in the accounts of the Medo/Persian Empire as handed down by secular historians, then Daniel becomes a liar. If one chooses otherwise, then there is a mistake somewhere with secular history. I have chosen to believe in the eyewitness accounts of Daniel. As even the Lord Jesus Christ quoted from the Book of Daniel to prove its authenticity (Mt. 24:15)

The issue of contention is Darius the Mede, who during his reign, Daniel got the vision under review and according to the Book of Daniel, ruled the Medo/Persian Empire before Cyrus the Persian. But secular histories do not know Darius the Mede (Dan. 9:1).

Daniel in Chapter 5 verse 30 to 31 says that the first king of the Medo/Persian Empire was Darius the Mede. As it is stated that:

“That very night Belshazzar king of the Babylonians was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom being about 62 years old.”

Therefore being in line with how the Empire is called Medo/Persia, Mede before Persia. Daniel Chapter 6 verse 28 also confirms that, Darius the Mede ruled before Cyrus the Persian in these words:

“So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius (the Mede) and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

While the vision under review was given during the reign of Darius the Mede, as it is stated in Daniel Chapter 9 verse 1 to 2 that:

“In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes a Mede by descent, who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom. In the first year of his reign, I Daniel understood from the scriptures according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet that the desolation of Jerusalem would last for 70 years.”

The end of the 70 years itself came later during the reign of Cyrus the Persian. It was at the end of the 70 years that Cyrus gave out the construction decree, as it is recorded in Ezra Chapter 1 verse 1 to 4 saying:

“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia in order to fulfil the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah (that they would be in Babylonian captivity for 70 years). The Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realms and put it into writing saying, thus says Cyrus king of Persia The Lord God of heaven has given me all he kingdoms of the earth and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem” (the construction decree).

Which is another proof that Darius the Mede, ruled before Cyrus the Persian. It may be necessary also to read 2 Chronicles Chapter 36 verse 20 to 23.
Further more, Daniel received his last vision in the third year of the reign of Cyrus king of Persia. As it is stated in Chapter 10 verse 1 that:

“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel”
In that very vision a man whose description resembles no other person than the glorified Jesus Christ described in the Book of Revelation Chapter 1 verse 12 to 16, told Daniel of an event that had taken place earlier and said, it took place in the first year of Darius the Mede, in these words at Daniel Chapter 11 verse 1:

“And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to confirm and strengthen him.”

Once again confirming that Darius the Mede ruled as a Medo/Persian king before Cyrus the Persian. Compare Daniel Chapter 10 verse 1, where it says that:

“In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel,”

With Chapter 11 verse 1, where it says:

“And in the first year of Darius the Mede (who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom) I took my stand to confirm and strengthen him.”

An event that had taken place earlier before the reign of Cyrus.

In that last vision, Daniel’s visitor from heaven told him, how the Prince of Persia in the spiritual realms had resisted (fought) him for 21 (visionary) days. (Dan. 10: 13)
The 21 (visionary) days stand for 21 years as it is in visions, like that of Ezekiel Chapter 4 verse 6 where the Lord says:

“I assign you a day for a year”. (Other types of prophecies are audio only and prophetic dreams).

Yes the 21 days were not ordinary in line with the 3 weeks that Daniel mourned. Probably, that is why Daniel’s visitor who is immortal used the words 21 days, which are visionary, in order to differentiate it from mortal Daniel’s 3 weeks, which are of 21 days though, but ordinary. (Dan.10: 2, Dan. 10:13)

For if the 21 days were ordinary in line with the 3 weeks that Daniel mourned, as many have suggested, then it would have meant that, the prince of Persia was only trying to prevent Daniel’s visitor from delivering the message to Daniel. If it were so, why then would Daniel’s visitor return to fight the prince of Persia, after having delivered the message to Daniel? For the visitor asked Daniel that:

“Do you know why I have come to you, now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. No one support me (in fighting) against them (the princes of the nations) except Michael your Prince”. (Dan.10: 20; 21.)

This clearly shows that, Daniel’s visitor who has only Michael as his supporter has been assigned to fighting the princes of the nations. And as at the time of Cyrus’ third year, he had been fighting the prince of Persia for 21 visionary days that stand for 21 years. And even as he was talking to Daniel, Michael his supporter was still fighting the prince of Persia. And he must return to fight the prince of Persia even after delivering the message to Daniel.

And not only did he return to fight the prince of Persia, but the prince of Greece as well who came after the prince of Persia. He is also fighting the princes of the fourth kingdom that came after Greece. Certainly therefore, he had not been fighting the prince of Persia for only three weeks that Daniel started to mourn, but for 21 visionary days, which stood for 21 years, that the Medo/Persian kingdom had been reigning as at the time that he was talking to Daniel in the 3rd year of the reign of Cyrus.

Indeed, from the visionary perspective, the Medo/Persian kingdom through Darius the Mede, commenced as world power 18 years before Cyrus the Persian took office. This can be explained by the fact that, as at the time of Daniel’s last vision, Cyrus’ reign was in the third year. But the Medo/Persian kingdom, had been reigning as world power for 21 years (21 visionary days). If Cyrus’ 3 years were taken out of the 21 years that the Medo/Persian kingdom had been reigning as at the time of the last vision, the answer is 18 years. This is to say that, the Medo/Persian kingdom was about 18 years old as world power before Cyrus the Persian, took office

One may ask whether there is the need for all these explanations. Yes it is necessary because secular history does not know of any Darius the Mede, who ruled the Medo/Persian kingdom before Cyrus the Persian. This has so badly put big question mark on the Book of Daniel. It has also affected the timing of the reign of Cyrus and his successors.

My explanation and timing of the subject matter, is strictly based on the visionary perspective. Just as I said earlier, there are two things, either one believes in the accounts of the Medo/Persian kingdom just as the secular history has made us to understand, and not only Daniel but also his visitor from heaven becomes a liar, or otherwise. Because Daniel’s visitor put Cyrus as the last but four kings of the Medo/Persian Empire in these words at Daniel Chapter 11 verse 2:

“And now, I will tell you the truth. Behold three more kings will arise in Persia and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece. Then a mighty king (of the kingdom of Greece) shall arise who shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will.”

This is to say that there would be four more kings to the Medo/Persian kingdom after Cyrus, before the Grecian Empire takes over through the greatest of the Grecian kings, who is Alexander. In order words, Cyrus was the last but four kings before Alexander the Great. Unless the name Cyrus was a stool name that was used by more than one king, and that, the one that Bible recognized as Cyrus is different from that of secular history, there is no way one can reconcile Bible and secular history on this matter.

Explanation of the 70 weeks.

Now back to the vision of the 70 weeks. 70 visionary weeks was decreed as the restoration period for the Jews after serving the Babylonian Empire for 70 years. These six purposes were predicted to be accomplished within the 70 visionary weeks. They are:
1. Finishing of transgression
2. Making end to sins
3. Making reconciliation for iniquity
4. Bringing in everlasting righteousness
5. Sealing up of vision and prophecy
6. And Anointing of the Most Holy place.
He went on to say:

“Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem (for it to exist) until the Messiah (Jesus) comes, there will be 7 (prelude visionary) weeks.
And for 62 (visionary) weeks Jerusalem will be built with streets and walls but in times of trouble. After the 62 (visionary) weeks the Messiah (Jesus) will be killed but not for himself”.
After the death of the Messiah Jesus:

“Jerusalem and its Temple would be destroyed by the people of the Ultimate Ruler.”

About whom much had been said to Daniel in his previous visions in which the Ultimate Ruler is seen as a little horn with devilish intentions, hence Daniel was aware of the one to whom reference was being made as the Ultimate Ruler (Daniel Chapters 7 & 8)

After the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, the Ultimate Ruler:

“Shall confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of a week he shall cause the daily sacrifice and offering to cease.”

In fact the statement:

“He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of the week he shall cause the daily sacrifice and offering to cease.”
As has been translated by most Bible versions, should read:

“He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of a week he shall cause the daily sacrifice and offering to cease”.

That is, he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of the following week, he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease. This means that it is not within the same week when he makes a covenant that he would cause the covenant to cease, but the week after the one he makes the covenant. In other words, he would make a covenant with many for 1½ weeks before the end of the 70 weeks decreed.

And when would he make a covenant, at his birth? Certainly no, it would be when he is enthroned as a king. In fact making covenant simply depicts his toleration of sacrifice and offering in the first 1½ visionary weeks of his reign, after that, which would also be the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed, he would cause sacrifice and offering to cease. This simply tells that the Ultimate Ruler would be enthroned just 1½ visionary weeks before the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed and would be tolerable to sacrifice and offering within that 1½ visionary weeks. However, after that 1½ visionary weeks, which would also be the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed, he would cause sacrifice and offering to cease. Remember the essence of covenant is peace.

Fulfilment

Apart from the six purposes, every other thing in this vision fulfilled sequentially. The only intricacy is where to place the 7 visionary weeks mentioned, whether it should be part of the 70 visionary weeks or not. It is stated in Daniel Chapter 9 verse 25b that:

“From the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah comes there will be 7 weeks.”

Now 70 visionary weeks constitute the restoration period, but the statement just read says that from the going forth of the decree to restore and build. The question therefore is, does the restoration itself start from the day that the decree of the reconstruction of the Temple is given? Certainly not, because with the communication network at that time, it would certainly take some time before the decree circulates throughout the whole of the Persian Empire. With the means of transportation at that time, it would also take some months to cover the journey back home. They would also use some months to prepare for the journey and some months to rest from the journey, before starting the rebuilding work.
Besides, the purpose of Cyrus giving the decree was to build the Temple of God in Jerusalem. So until the Temple was rebuilt and dedicated to God, it could not be said of Jerusalem that it was restored, for it was the Temple of God in Jerusalem that matters most. Without it, Jerusalem is like any other city on earth. It was the Temple of God that made the difference. So the decreed 70 visionary weeks began to count as from the day the Temple was completed and dedicated not from the day the decree was given.

When and where then did the 7 visionary weeks come into play? It is said that; “From the going forth of the decree”. The question then is when did the decree for the construction go forth? Ezra Chapter 1 verse 1 to 4 says:

“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the month of Jeremiah might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia so that he made a proclamation (the construction decree) and also put it into writing saying: ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia’ All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God has given me. And he has commanded me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is among you of his people may his God be with him and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is Judah, and build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.”

So the decree for the reconstruction of the Temple did go forth in the first year of the reign of Cyrus the Persian king. And that was when the 7 visionary weeks began to count as prelude. However, the 70 visionary weeks restoration period itself had not yet started. Simply because the restoration did not start from the day the construction decree was given, instead, on the day that the Temple of God in Jerusalem was completed and dedicated. And it for this reason that is why Daniel’s visitor did not add the 7 weeks to the 62 weeks in the second place of appearance of the 62 weeks to make the passage read as follows:

Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince comes there will be 7 weeks.
And for 62 weeks the city shall be built with streets and wall but in troublous times. After 69 weeks (7 wks + 62 wks) the Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself.

But rather:

Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the decree to restore and build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince comes there will be 7 weeks.
And for 62 weeks the city shall be built with streets and wall but in troublous times. After the 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off but not for himself

Emphasizing on the 62 weeks which is part of the 70 weeks, with a definite article saying after the 62 weeks, not after 69 weeks. Because the 7weeks is not part of the 70 weeks decreed, but rather a prelude to the 70 weeks, therefore cannot be added to the 62 weeks which is part of the 70 weeks.

Building of the Temple

The children of Israel went up to Jerusalem and started rebuilding the Temple of God. They met a stiff opposition throughout the reign of Cyrus, thus they could not complete the Temple of God. So it is said of the opposition as follows:

“The people of the land (the Gentiles) discouraged the people of Judah (the Jews) and made them afraid to build and hired counsellors against them and frustrated their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus the Persian and down to the reign of Darius (II) of Persia”. (Ezra 4: 4- 5)

Take Note

Take not that, Darius the Persian king, is Darius (II), because Darius (I) is Darius the Mede, who according to the book of Daniel, ruled the Medo/Persian Empire before Cyrus, while Darius the Persian ruled after Cyrus. (Dan. 5: 30 -31, Dan. 6: 28)
In between the reign of Cyrus and Darius (II), Xerxes and Artaxerxes ruled and because of the opposition the Jews could not complete the work on the house of the Lord. So it is stated in Ezra Chapter 4 verse 6 to 7 that:

“At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they (the Gentiles) lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes, the Gentiles again wrote another accusation letter to Artaxerxes….” And “‘as soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes letter (reply) was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their associate they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem, by force and power made them cease. Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius (II) king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:23-24)
Secular historical accounts do not tally with Ezra on this account, who like Daniel was an eyewitness

“The temple was completed and dedicated in the sixth year of the reign of Darius (II)” (Ezra 6:15).

That was the day that the first of the six purposes, which incidentally is the last in terms of arrangements namely the:

“Anointing of the most holy place.”

That is the dedication of the rebuilt Temple fulfilled. And it was on the day of the dedication of the Temple in the sixth year of the reign of Darius (II) that the 70 visionary weeks restoration began. Yes, that was when the Jewish 70 visionary weeks restoration period began to count.

Conversion of the Decreed 70 Weeks

Now let us see how the sets times given in weeks are converted into years. It would have been reasonable enough to multiply the set times given in weeks by 7, because there are 7 days in a week. And the answer therefore in days would have been the equivalent in years, since days are used to represent years in visions. In that sense the 7 visionary weeks would have been 49 years. That is, 7 weeks multiplied by 7 days equals 49 days standing for 49 years. The 70 visionary weeks would have meant 490 years. That is, 70 weeks multiplied by 7 days that make a week, the answer being 490 days standing for 490 years.

In fact, this is the method that all those who have previously interpreted this vision used. This method together with where the 70 visionary weeks began to count, so as to determine where it ended, has posed a lot of problems for these interpreters.

There have been two major interpretations prior to this one. The interpretation of one school of thought completely got the 70 weeks expired in about AD 37, in contrast with the prediction of the vision, which placed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple that took place in AD 70, within the 70 visionary weeks decreed. And even attributed the satanic activities of the 70th week, to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Namely:

“He will confirm a covenant with many for a week and in the middle of a week he shall cause sacrifice and offering to cease and on the wing of abomination he shall cause desolation.”

The vision says:

“After the 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off (killed) but not for himself,”
That is the Messiah would be killed at the end of the 62 visionary weeks out of the 70 visionary weeks decreed, therefore bringing an end to the physical activities of the Messiah at the end of the 62 visionary weeks. (Dan. 9: 26)
Then after the death of the Messiah and within the 8 visionary weeks remaining, (70 weeks – 62 weeks = 8 weeks) the people of the Ultimate Ruler would come and destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. That is, the people of the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles would destroy Jerusalem and its Temple after the death of the Messiah. (Dan. 9: 26)

Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the people of the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles in AD 70. Yes, in AD 70, the Roman armies the people of the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple. Then after Jerusalem’s destruction, he the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles whose people—the Romans, destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, would confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of the following week, put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abomination he would cause desolation, even until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Dan. 9: 27)

So it is the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles that the vision says would make covenant with the people in the last 1½ weeks of the 70 visionary weeks decreed, and abrogate the covenant at the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed, not the Messiah who by then had been killed, resurrected and ascended to heaven. So that interpretation is wrong.

The interpretation of the other school of thought says that, 69 visionary weeks out of the 70 visionary weeks fulfilled at the time of Christ death, and that there is an indeterminate interval between the 69th week and the 70th week. That theory has no biblical proof. For God gave out 70 visionary weeks and did not tell us that there would be an interval somewhere along the line. Therefore the interpretation is wrong.

As said earlier, it would have been reasonable enough to multiply the set times given in weeks by 7, because there are 7 days in a week. “A week” was also dubbed “seven” (of days), in the Hebrew language, just for the fact that there are 7 days in a week. However, “4 sevens,” (of days) otherwise 4 weeks in this vision, simply stand for a month of 30 days, instead of 4 weeks multiplied by 7 days that equals 28 days. Similarly, this is how it is in my native language Ashanti also, in which a week is dubbed “eight days,” (enna’wotwe literally meaning eight days), however “4 eights of days” otherwise 4 weeks simply stand for a month.

Further proof is that, in as much as there are 7 days in a week and 4 weeks in a month and 12 months in a year, there are not 336 days in a year, as a result of 7 days that are of a week multiplied by 4 weeks that are of a month and the answer 28 days multiplied by 12 months that make a year. Instead, there are 360 days in a year of 12 equal months of 30 days each, so far as the scripture is concerned.

This can be verify from Revelation Chapter 11 verse 2 to 3, where a period of 42
visionary months, which is 3½ visionary years is given as 1260 visionary days. If the 1260 days were divided by the 42 months so as to know how many days are in every month, it gives out 30. This is to say that, there are 30 days in a month so far as the scripture is concerned. 30 days multiplied by 12 months that make a year, equals 360 days. So since a year in the Bible is not of 336 days, but of 360 days, then it is incorrect to multiply 7 days by the number of weeks.

Having this mind, then all the set times given in visionary weeks, should be converted into months first, by dividing by 4, because there are 4 weeks in a month. Then the answer in months multiplied by 30, because there are 30 days in a scripture month.

In this sense the 70 visionary weeks become 525 visionary days. That is 70 weeks divided by 4 weeks equals 17½ months, multiplied by 30 days that are of a scripture month equals 525 visionary days.

The 7 visionary weeks become 52½ visionary days. That is 7 weeks divided by 4 weeks equals 1¾ months, multiplied by 30 days that are of a scripture month equals 52½ visionary days.

The 62 visionary weeks become 465 visionary days. That is 62 weeks divided by 4 weeks equals 15½ months multiplied by 30 days that are of a scripture month equals 465 visionary days.

And since days are used to represent years in visions (other types of prophecies are audio-only and prophetic dreams), as it is stated in Ezekiel Chapter 4 verse 6b, that:

“I assign you a day for a year” (also Num. 14: 34).

Then the number of visionary days in places of the set times given in weeks represent the number of years for the respective set times. In this sense the number of years involve in the 70 visionary weeks is 525 years. The number of years involve in the 7 visionary weeks is 52½ years. And the number of years involve in the 62 visionary weeks is 465 years.

Summary

This brings the summary of the 70 visionary weeks decreed as follows:
525 years was decreed for the Jews as their restoration period.

52½ years (7 visionary weeks) was decreed as the Temple’s construction period that began on the day the construction decree was given by Cyrus in his first year, down to the day that the 70 weeks restoration period itself began to count in the 6th year of the reign of Darius (II). On the day that the Most Holy place that is, the Temple was completed and anointed or dedicated.

For 465 years (62 visionary weeks) that the city would be built with street and wall. After the 465 years (62 visionary weeks) from the day that the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) began to count in the 6th year of Darius (II), Jesus the Messiah was killed in AD 31.

Leaving only 60 years (8 visionary weeks) out of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) as at the time of Christ death in AD 31, for the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) to expire (525 years minus 465 years, equals 60 years or 70 visionary weeks minus 62 visionary weeks, equals 8 visionary weeks).

After Christ’s death and within the 60 years (8 visionary weeks), the people of the Ultimate Ruler (the Roman Empire) would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. After Jerusalem’s destruction, the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles who was seen in earlier visions as a little horn would be enthroned just 1½ visionary weeks before the end of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks).
A week is of 7 days and half a week is of 3½ days. So 7 days added to the 3½ days equals 10½ visionary days that stand for 10½ years, since days are used to represent years in visions. It means that the Ultimate Ruler begins his reign 10½ years (1½ visionary weeks) before the end of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks), which by AD 31, when Christ was killed, had only 60 years (8 visionary weeks) to expire. Then 10½ years (1½ visionary weeks) later in the reign of the Ultimate Ruler commonly referred as the Antichrist, the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) comes to an end for the Ultimate Ruler to initiate the rebellion that is also known as the appointed times of the Gentiles. (Dan. 8:13; 14)

The 10½ years or 1½ visionary weeks covenant period, in that, while still within the 70 visionary weeks Jewish restoration period, the Ultimate Ruler or the Antichrist begins his reign, but on a tolerance note until the Jewish period comes to an end 10½ years later in his reign.

Fulfilment of the 70 visionary Weeks Decreed

Cyrus gave out the decree for the construction in the first year of his reign. It took the Jews 52½ years prelude period (7 visionary weeks) from the day the construction decree was given until the day that the Temple was completed and dedicated in the 6th year of the reign of Darius (II). There the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) began to count. 465 years (62 visionary weeks) from the dedication day in the 6th year of the reign of Darius (II), Jesus, who is the Messiah, was killed in AD 31. That makes it a total of 69 visionary weeks that stands for 517½ years (7 weeks plus 62 weeks = 69 weeks or 52½ years plus 465 years equals 517½ years) from the day Cyrus gave out the decree, down to the day that the Messiah Jesus was killed in AD 31. So since the decree was given in the first year of the reign of Cyrus, then it means that, Cyrus began his reign in about 517½ years Before Christ’s Death.

At the time of Christ’s Death in AD 31, that was when four of the remaining five purposes namely the:
“Finishing of transgression
Making an end to sin
Atoning for wickedness
And bringing in everlasting righteousness.”
Fulfilled through the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sealing up of visions and prophecies being the last in terms of fulfilment, came about on the day that God gave out the Book of Revelation. Since then, God’s purpose of using visions and prophecies to deliver messages to His people came to an end, because the writing of the Bible also came to an end.
So God concludes the Book of Revelation by saying through John in Revelation Chapter 22 verses 18 and 19 that:

“I warn anyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things that are written in this Book.”

So God would neither give out vision nor prophecy after the Book of Revelation so as to ensure that nothing is added to the Bible.

The first of the 6 purposes, which incidentally was the last in arrangement that is the anointing of the most holy place (the dedication of the Temple) having fulfilled on the day that the rebuilt Temple was dedicated to mark the beginning of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) in the 6th year of the reign Darius (II).

Since at the time of Christ’s death in AD 31, 465 years (62 visionary weeks) out of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks) had expired, there were only 60 years that equal the 8 visionary weeks, left out of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks). Within the 60 years that equal the 8 visionary weeks, the people of the Ultimate Ruler or the Antichrist would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Roman soldiers the people of the Ultimate Ruler destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70. Barely 39 years from the time of the death of the Messiah Jesus that took place in AD 31.

With Jerusalem and the Temple destroyed in AD 70, what was left out of the vision was that, the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles commonly referred as the Antichrist would be enthroned 10½ years (1½ visionary weeks) before the end of the decreed 525 years (70 visionary weeks).

Since there were only 60 years that equal the 8 visionary weeks, left out of the vision as at the time of Christ’s death in AD 31, 10½ years (1½ visionary weeks) before the end of the 60 years means 49½ years from the time of Christ’s death in AD 31. 49½ years is approximately 50 years.

So 50 years from AD 31, the time of Christ’s death, came down to AD 81. This is to say that, the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles commonly referred as the Antichrist, would begin his reign in AD 81 as an Emperor of the Empire responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple after the death of the Messiah Jesus. And that Empire is the Roman Empire. In other words, and as part of clues to identifying the Ultimate Ruler or the Antichrist, the Ultimate Ruler would be an Emperor of the Roman Empire and would begin his reign in AD 81. (Dan 9: 26)

The first 10 years (1½ visionary weeks) of his reign would be on a tolerance note, because that is the era known as 1½ visionary weeks covenant period. Take note that, the bottom line of covenant is peace. Then 10 years later in the reign of the Ultimate Ruler to be precise in AD 91, the Jewish 70 weeks restoration period came to an end for the Ultimate Ruler to initiate the appointed times of the Gentiles or the rebellion era. The appointed times of the Gentiles whose toughest part is given as time, times and half of a time, that is, 3½ visionary years, 42 visionary months or 1260 visionary days that stands for 1260 years, but its full duration, far beyond. (Dan 7: 24- 25, Rev.13:4-5)

So this was how the vision of the 70 weeks began in the 6th year of the reign of Darius the Persian and ended in AD 91, during the reign of the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles, who initiated the appointed times of the Gentiles or rebellion era in AD 91. (Dan. 8: 13-14, 2 Thess. 2: 3)

Having known that the toughest part of the appointed times of the Gentiles initiated in AD 91 by the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles or the Antichrist, to be 3½ visionary years, 42 visionary months or 1260 visionary days that stand for 1260 years of 360 days each, let us also find out the full duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles, after which real restoration will be done for the Israelites, which will be in collaboration with 1000 years kingdom of Christ.

In our quest, let us read Daniel Chapter 8. There, Daniel in a vision saw a powerful he goat with one conspicuous horn between its eyes defeated a ram that had two horns, of which the latter horn was higher. The goat became very powerful but at the height of its power, its large horn got broken off. And in its place four prominent horns grew up towards the four winds of heaven;

“Out of one of them came forth a little horn that grew up very powerful towards the south, the east and the beautiful land. It grew until it reached the host of heaven and threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the prince of the host. It took away the daily sacrifices from him and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. The host and the daily sacrifice were given over to it in transgression. Truth was cast down to the ground and it prospered in everything it did.”

Here it appears that, the little horn that was seen to have come from one of the four horns of the he goat is of the Greek Empire. Because the explanation given at Daniel Chapter 8 verse 21 says that the he goat represents the kingdom of Greece. But it happened this way, because God knows that Daniel was already conversant with the little horn through his first vision at Chapter 7, in which Daniel was told that the little horn is of the fourth Empire that comes after Greek, which is the third. That is why God did not start all over, instead went on to show Daniel the additional information he needed to know about the little horn, which indeed is of the fourth Empire, not the third which is Greece. In the same way, God used definite article for the little horn in Daniel Chapter 9 verse 26 saying:

“And the people of the Ultimate Ruler who is to come shall destroy the city and the Temple”.

Daniel readily knew the Ultimate Ruler being talked about, to be the little horn. So he did not ask God who was the Ultimate Ruler that God was talking about, just as when he saw the little horn in the vision under review, he recognized it to be the one he saw in the earlier vision at Chapter 7.

Daniel continued by saying he heard a holy one speaking and another holy one asked the one that was speaking:

“How long will it take the vision to be fulfilled. The vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the rebellion that causes desolation and the surrendering of the sanctuary and the host (the Jews) to be trampled underfoot (by the Gentiles Luke. 21: 24b?”
In other words, what is the duration of the rebellion that the little horn initiates?

This question that the holy one asked, is just like asking Jesus Christ of the duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles, which as at the time of Jesus, was yet to be initiated by the little horn who is the Ultimate Ruler of the Gentiles or the Wicked One. When Jesus predicted the fall of Jerusalem and its trampling on by the Gentiles until the appointed times of the Gentiles (that the little horn initiates) are fulfilled (Lk.21: 24 Dan. 9:26).

This answer was given:

“It will take 2300 days, then the Sanctuary will be consecrated.”
So the full duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles, that commenced in AD 91 at the end of the decreed 70 weeks of the Israelites that took place during the reign of the little horn who is the man of lawlessness, is given as 2,300 visionary days that stand for 2300 years, since days are used to represent years in visions. (Ezek. 4: 6, Num 14: 34)

In fact, the question and answer here demystify the mysteries surrounding when the next major change will be done on earth. The major change that is to effect the real restoration of the Israelites, which will be in collaboration with the 1000 years kingdom of Christ. And the answer is; it will take 2300 visionary days that stand for 2300 years from the day that the Gentiles times was established by the little horn who is the man of lawlessness in AD 91.

Take note that this question and its answer have nothing to do with the activities of the Ram, nor the he goat, its first horn and even the four that came up after the first prominent horn. Instead, with the activities of the little horn that set itself up to be as great as the prince of the host and took away the daily sacrifices from him. So there is no way that the 2300 years could begin, unless during the reign of the little horn. Thus one has to identify the little horn first, during whose reign the 2300 years should commence, before knowing where the 2300 years began.

“Do not let anyone deceive you in any way; for the day of the Lord (the second coming of Jesus) will not come. Unless the rebellion comes first and the Wicked one (the little horn) appears who is destine for hell.”

It means that, at the time of writing the 2 letter of the Thessalonians, the rebellion that the Wicked One who is the little horn would initiate, was yet to be effected. And this means that at the time of writing the 2 letter of the Thessalonians, the 2300 years appointed of the Gentiles had not yet began. So it is woefully wrong to start counting the 2300 years anywhere before the time of writing the 2 letter of the Thessalonians, within which it is proven that the little horn who is also the Wicked One was yet to initiate the rebellion whose duration is the 2300 years.

In fact, it is due to such wrong interpretation that made some people expect the second coming of Jesus Christ first in 1843 and when they failed they pushed it to the year 1844. And when they failed again, some of them climbed up a step higher on the ladder of false interpretation by saying it was rather in heaven that Jesus went from the Holy Place into the Holy of Holies. In fact the Year 1844 is of no significance so far as the visions and prophecies of the Bible are concerned.

The 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles started at the end of the 70 visionary weeks restoration period of the Jews in AD 91 during the reign of the man of lawlessness or the little horn. Hence, the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed and the beginning of the 2300 visionary days appointed times of the Gentiles are both connected to the reign of the Little horn with these statements:

“And the people of the Ultimate Ruler (the little horn) will come and destroy the city and the sanctuary (the Temple)….He (the Ultimate Ruler) will confirm a covenant with many for one week and in the middle of a week, he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abomination he shall cause the desolation, even until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” (Dan. 9: 26-27)

And “It (the little horn or the Ultimate Ruler) set itself up to be as great as the prince of the host. It took away the daily sacrifices from him and the place of his sanctuary (the Temple) was overthrown (destroyed). The host and the daily sacrifice were given over to it in transgression. Truth was cast down to the ground and it prospered in everything it did.

And I heard a holy one speaking and another holy one asked the one that was speaking: “How long will it take the vision to be fulfilled. The vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the rebellion that causes desolation and the surrendering of the sanctuary and the host (the Jews) to be trampled underfoot?” Then he said to him: “It will take 2300 days, then the Sanctuary will be consecrated (Dan. 8: 9- 14).

So it can be seen how the end of the 70 visionary weeks decreed and the beginning of the 2300 visionary days appointed times of the Gentiles are both connected to the reign of the Little horn who is the Ultimate Ruler or the Wicked One.

And in order to know when the 2300 visionary days appointed times of the Gentiles will expire on our calendar, we should have added the 2300 years to 91, because it was in AD 91 that the 2300 years began to count. However, we have to take into consideration the difference between the system of reckoning Biblical years and that of our Calendar years. Because these 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles are scripture years that consist of 360 days each, while our system of reckoning years is of 365¼ days each. So we need to convert the 2300 scripture years that are of 360 days each, into our system of reckoning years that is of 365¼ days each before adding to AD 91.

To convert the 2300 scripture years into our system of reckoning years, all that we have to do is to multiply the 2300 scripture years by 360 days that make a scripture year and the answer is 828,000 days. Then the 828,000 days divided by 365¼ days that make our calendar year, and it equals to 2267 years. This means that the 2300 scripture years that are of 360 days each is equals to 2267 years of our calendar that are of 365¼ each.

When the 2267 years is added to AD 91 where the Gentiles times began, it takes us to the year 2358. This is to say that, the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles that began in AD 91, will expire around the year 2358. So the major Change that will effect the real Restoration of the Jews that is in collaboration with the 1000 visionary years kingdom of Christ is expected to take place around the year 2358.

Towards the end of the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles. In other words, before the year 2358, the second divine judgment that is the war of Armageddon will be effected. Details of the war of Armageddon are given in Chapter 14 of this book. So let us go on to the next Chapter to find out the meaning of the phrase “The Great and Terrible day of the Lord.”

coming from chapter 7 of my entitled the Eternal Good News
Chapter SEVEN

THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE DAY OF THE LORD

Joel’s Prophecies:

Joel prophesied about two divine judgments or the day of the Lord’s punishments. The first one covers Chapters 1 and 2, and the second one is in Chapter 3.
Remember we have learnt that, the day of the Lord or the Lord’s Day means a time of divine judgment. The phrase “the Great and Terrible day of the Lord,” belongs to the first of the two divine judgments and it appears in Joel Chapter 2 verse 28 to 32 as follows:

“And afterwards, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. Even on my servants both men and women I will pour out my spirit in those days. I will show wonders in heaven and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the Great and Terrible day of the Lord. And every one who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls.”

It has been difficult for many to understand what this first divine judgment, known as the Great and Terrible day of the Lord is about, in respect to whom it would come on, what God would use by way of instrument to execute the divine judgment under review and when it would be effected.

But as for the second divine judgment stated in Joel Chapter 3, it is easily understood that, that divine judgment is going to bring destruction on the ungodly nations in order to restore Israel. It began by saying in Chapter 3 verse 1 that:

“In those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into Judgment against the nations concerning my inheritance, my people Israel”.

God’s judgment against the nations means defeat for the ungodly nations, but victory for the Israelites in a war in which the ungodly nations will attack the Israelites. For this second divine judgment is the same as the one recorded at Revelation Chapter 16 verse 12 to 16, known as the war of Armageddon, elaborated in Revelation Chapter 19 verse 19 to 21. It is meant to destroy the ungodly nations in order to restore the Israelites.

This will come on towards the end of the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles, so as to effect the restoration of the Israelites at the end of the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles. The restoration that will be in collaboration with the 1000 visionary years kingdom of Christ. And because of the fact that the restoration will be in collaboration with the 1000 visionary years kingdom of Jesus Christ, who from the physical point of view is from the line of David, Ezekiel who wrote many years after the death of King David, said in Chapter 37 verse 24 to 27 that:

“My servant David (that is Jesus) will be king over them. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where their fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever. And David (that is Jesus) my servant will be their prince forever. I will establish them and increase their numbers and I will put my sanctuary (the Temple that is to be built and consecrated at the end of the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles Dan. 8:14) among them forever. I will be their God and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the Lord make Israel holy when my sanctuary (Temple) is among them forever.”
So the second divine judgment is easily understood that, it is going to bring destruction on the ungodly nations in order to restore the Israelites.

However, as said earlier, the first divine judgment that is recorded at Joel Chapters 1 and 2 has been a bit difficult for many to understand as to whom that divine judgment would apply to, who or what God would use as an instrument to execute the divine judgment under review and when it would be carried out. But as usual, there are clues in the prophecy itself and other places of the Bible that help us to know whom that divine judgment would come on, who or what God would use by way of instrument to met out that divine judgment and when it would be executed.
Joel scaled the divine judgment under review by saying in Chapter 1 verses 2 and 3 that:

“Hear this you elders, listen all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your fathers?”

This is to say that, the like of the divine punishment under review had never been before. He went on and said:

“Tell it to your children and let your children tell it to their children and their children to the next generation.”

Just to make it known that the like of it will never come again. So in short, the combination of the question:

“Has anything like this ever happened in your days or the days of your fathers?
And the statement:
“Tell it to your children and let your children tell it to their children and their children to the next generation.”
Simply depicts that, the like of the divine judgment in question had never been and it is not to be equalled.

Joel continued in Chapter 1 verse 4, by using four kinds of locusts to represent the four common phenomenon that are associated with divine punishments. They are: 1. Famine, 2. Plague, 3. Sword and 4. Captivity. He went on to say in verse 6 that:

“A nation has invaded my land”.

Any time that God says, “my land,” it is in reference to the land of Israel. Remember a similar reference is made in Chapter 3 verse 2, where God referred to Israel as

“my inheritance, my people Israel”. Here it gives a hint that, the land to be invaded is the land of Israel. He went on and described the nation that would invade Israel as ‘Powerful and without number.’ (Joel 2: 2b)

He also confirms that it would be a time of divine judgment in Chapter 1 verse 15 in these words:

“Alas, for that day! For the day of the Lord is near. It will come like destruction from the Almighty.”

In order to confirm once again whom the divine punishment in question would come on, he continued in Chapter 2 verse 1 by saying:

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy hill (Jerusalem) let all who live in the land (of Judea) tremble. For the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand. It will be a day of darkness and gloom a day of clouds and blackness. Like a dawn spreading across the mountains, a large and mighty army comes such as never was of old nor ever to be in ages to come.”

Such as never was of old and never to be in ages to come, confirms that, the kind of havoc that the mighty army would cause to the Land of Israel had never happened before and it is not to be equalled. For Chapter 1 verse 6 says:

“A nation has invaded my land,”

That is Israel. And Chapter 2 verse 2 says:

“A large and mighty army comes such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.

The strength of the nation, whose army is large and mighty, mentioned here, can only be compared with that of the fourth beast (a kingdom) in Daniel Chapter 7 verse 23 that says:

“The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth, it will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth trampling it down and crushing it.”

For the statement;

“A large and mighty army comes such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come,”

Is the same in meaning as:

“The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth, it will be different from all the other kingdoms.

Besides, they both seem to have the same purpose. In Daniel Chapter 7 verse 25 it says:

“He will speak against the Most High and oppress his people.”

Basically Israel, and in Joel Chapter 1 verse 6:

“A nation has invaded my land” (Israel).

Also in Joel Chapter 2 verse 9 it says:

“They rush upon the city” (Jerusalem).

Further more, when we check other parallel statements that have the phrase,

“Unequalled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equalled again.”

Which contextually is the same as:

“A large and mighty army comes such as never was of old nor ever will be in ages to come.”

For the fact that it is certainly the work of the large and mighty army, which is of the fourth beast (kingdom) that is different from all kingdoms, which had never been and never to be equalled. We would realize that they all talk about a particular nation that would destroy the land of Israel. So Jesus in Mathew Chapter 24 verse 15 to 22 says that:

“So when you see standing in the holy place (Jerusalem) the abomination that causes desolation (The Roman army), spoken of by the prophet Daniel, let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of his house, let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Pray that your flight will not be in winter or Sabbath. For then there will be great distress unequalled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equalled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”

Yes the time schedule for the siege of Jerusalem would be shortened for the sake of the elect living in Jerusalem to enable them escape Jerusalem’s destruction. And it happened as prophesied, for Vespasian and the Roman army that had laid siege in Jerusalem, abandoned it in AD 69 to go and fight in Rome for the purple (the imperial garment).

The elect then took advantage and ran away from Jerusalem, before the Roman armies this time led by Titus, returned and laid siege until the wall was breached for the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The days were thus shortened by the time in between the Roman army abandoning the siege in AD 69, and returning in AD 70.
Luke Chapter 21 verse 20 to 24 put it in a plainer language saying:

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by (Roman) armies, you will know that its destruction is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains let those in the city get out and those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfilment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. There will be great distress in the land (of Judea) and the wrath of God against this people (the Israelites). They will fall by the sword and will be taken prisoners to all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentles until the appointed times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Jeremiah adds his voice by saying:

“How awful that day (the divine judgment) will be, none will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob” (Israel).

This is like saying that, the like of the divine judgment in question has never happened and it is not to be equalled, and Jeremiah says it would be a time of trouble for Israel. (Jer 30:7)

So evidently the great and terrible day of the Lord is a phrase that depicts the divine judgment that was meted on the Israelites by the Roman Empire in AD 70. And it is the same in meaning as the message of the second angel recorded at Revelation Chapter 14 verse 8 saying:

“Fallen! Fallen! Is Babylon the Great.”

For they both convey messages of the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in AD 70.

Visions and Prophecies Sealed

So whatever promises the Almighty God made in connection with the great and terrible day of the Lord, namely: Joel Chapter 2 verse 28 to 32 that says:

“And afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all people, your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants both men and women I will pour out my spirit in those days. I will show wonders in Heaven and on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For on mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance as the Lord has said, among the survivors (the escapee) whom the Lord calls.”

So this promise was fulfilled before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord that is, before the destruction of Jerusalem that took place in AD 70. Peter confirmed it almost 2000 years ago on the first Pentecost day after the death and ascension of Jesus the Christ, when Peter stood with the eleven apostles to explain to the people the meaning of the development on that Pentecost day. Peter said:

“Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem. Let me explain this to you. Listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk as you suppose. It is only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” (Acts 2: 14- 21).

Then Peter quoted the whole of Joel Chapter 2 verse 28 to 32. However, Peter is quoted as using the phrase “in the last days.” in place of “afterwards” that begins Joel’s prophecy. “In the last days,” certainly not of the world, but of the Jewish 70 visionary weeks restoration period, which by AD 31 when Jesus was killed, had barely 60 years to expire. Peter is again quoted as using the word “glorious” in place of “terrible” in the phrase, “before the great and terrible day of the Lord.”

Thus the fulfilment of God pouring out His Spirit on all people, as prophesied in the book of Joel, took place before the great and terrible day of the Lord, which was the destruction meted on the Jews by the Romans in AD 70.

Duration of the Special Task of the Holy Spirit

However, we need to know the duration of the special task of the Holy Spirit that is the duration of God’s Spirit being poured on all people as promised. Special task, in that, that was not the first time God used His Spirit in dealing with mankind and would not be the last, but it was the first of its kind or magnitude.

The duration of that special task of the Holy Spirit that began on that Pentecost day, and for that matter the duration of speaking in tongues, visions and prophecies, was up to at most AD 91, where the 70 visionary weeks decreed for the Jews ended, for the appointed times of the Gentiles to begin. Else God would be seen as contradicting Himself, which is highly impossible. Because, in the vision of the 70 visionary weeks, God said that, one of the six purposes that should be accomplished before the end of the 70 visionary weeks, is the sealing up of visions and prophecies. (Dan.9:24)

Sealing up of vision and prophecies means the completion of visions and prophecies. So if prophecies and visions went beyond AD 91, where the decreed 70 visionary weeks came to an end, then God would be seen as contradicting Himself.

The sealing up of visions and prophecies came about by the coming of the Book of Revelation in AD 69. Yes, the Book of Revelation is the seal of visions and prophecies. In other words, it is the completion of visions and prophecies, and it is the fulfilment of the promise that God made to Daniel, when He told him:

“Go your way Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.” (Dan. 12: 9)

The end of the decreed 70 visionary weeks, which by AD 69, when the Revelation was given, had barely 22 years to expire in AD 91

So the Book of Revelation, which is the fulfilment of God’s promise to Daniel, was really given at the time of the end of the decreed 70 visionary weeks of the Israelites. With the Book of Revelation, all that God would want mankind to know through visions and prophecies is completed and sealed. So God does not give out visions and prophecies again after the completion of the Bible. Because the purpose of God giving out visions and prophecies was to write down His message to the people and add to the scriptures. However, now that nothing can be added to the Bible, what is the essence of God giving out visions and prophecies again? And where to write them, if visions and prophecies were being given? That is why God concludes the Book of Revelation by saying through John in Revelation Chapter 22 verses 18 and 19 that:

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book (of Revelation). If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book.”

So God does neither give visions nor prophecies again after the Book of Revelation. To ensure that nothing is added to the Bible after the Revelation.
Cast your mind back and you will realize that upon all the claims of so-called prophets and their “prophecies”, there has never been any significant “Prophecy” after the Book of Revelation. Tell me, if you knew of just one that is like the prophecies of the Bible?

Someone may ask that, but in his speech at the Pentecost day, Peter said that:

“The promise is for you and your children. And to all that are far off, every one whom
the Lord our God calls.” (Acts 2: 39).

Presupposing that, that special task of the Holy Spirit that enabled the disciples to speak in different tongues was to last forever. Again special task in that, that wasn’t the first time the Almighty God used His Spirit in dealing with mankind and would not be the last. Another person might even prove a case by quoting Mark Chapter 16 verse 15 to 18, where it is stated that:

“And he (Jesus) said to them. ‘Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe, in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues. They will take up serpent and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them. They will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover.”

First of all, when Peter said that, that special task of the Holy Spirit is for “you and your children,” it means at most for two generations, the adult generation at that time and their Children. This is because any time the scripture talks about an event that goes far into the future, it mentions more than two generations. For instance, in Joel Chapter 1 verse 3, where it is stated that:

“Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children and let their children another generation.”

Also in Ezekiel Chapter 37 verse 25, where it is stated that:

“They will dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I gave to my servant Jacob: They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever.”

Comparatively, these two statements talk about events that are by far of greater durations than that of the phrase that says “for you and your children.”
And concerning the phrase “and to all that are far off.” Far off from Jerusalem in the geographical sense at that time, not far off into the future. Just as it is written in Romans Chapter 10 verse 18 that:

“Their voices have gone to the end of the earth. Their words to the end of the world.”

It is certainly the end of the world in the geographical sense at that time that was been talked about, not the end of the world in the future sense which their words are yet to reach.

Speaking in Different Tongues

In respect to the signs that would follow those that believed and are baptized, especially speaking in different tongues, which seems to be the much preferred sign these days, careful study of the scriptures, reveals that, apart from that Pentecost day, when the disciples who were together, received each one’s portion of the Spirit directly from heaven. Plus the exclusive way of Paul’s baptism that was done by Ananias, who was not one of the the known Apostles though, but was commissioned exclusively to lay hands on Paul to enable him get his sight back and filled with the Spirit and to also become an Apostle. Every other person received the Spirit (that gave them the ability to speak in different tongues) through the laying of the Apostles’ hands, or at least in the presence of an Apostle. As it happened in the house of Cornelius at the presence of Peter. (Acts 1: 15, Acts 2:1; 3, Acts 9: 17, and Acts 10: 44- 46.)

It was not automatic that as soon as one believes and is baptized, he speaks in different tongues. In order to confirm this, let us read about some acts of Philip who it can be said that was the next in command to the apostles, and the people he converted to become Christians. When Philip preached to the Samaritans, they believed and were baptized accordingly, however, the Samaritans did not speak with new tongues as Mark Chapter 16 verse 15 to 18 is assumed to suggest, or as some people have interpreted that passage, until Peter and John came and laid their hands and prayed for them that they might receive the Spirit. Why couldn’t the Samaritans speak in different tongues as soon as they believed and were baptized as Mark Chapter 16 verse 15 to 18 is assumed to suggest or as some have interpreted the passage? Or why couldn’t Philip himself laid his hands and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Spirit? (Acts 8:4- 24)

When the same Philip preached and converted the Ethiopian Eunuch into Christianity, he only gave him water baptism. And the Ethiopian went away happily, because he knew he was saved. Certainly it was the water baptism, which the Ethiopian received, that he also passed on to new converts when he returned to his country. Why do some men of these days seek to acquire more than what was given to the Ethiopian? (Acts 8:26; 40)

If we were willing to be sincere, who on earth now, would the Almighty God grant the ability that was not given to Philip, who it can be said was the next in command to the Apostles? For it is stated in Acts Chapter 8 verse 18 to 20 that:

“When Simon (the former magician) saw that the Spirit (the ability to speak in different tongues) was given at the laying of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said: “Give me also this ability (which Philip lacked) so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

However, Peter answered by saying:

“May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!”

So that ability of laying hands on others for them to receive the Spirit could not be purchased and it was a gift that God gave to the elite of whom even Philip was not inclusive. So what happened when those elite expired? Besides the fundamental work of the Holy Spirit is to:

“Teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that had been said.” (John 14:16)
So truly, he who has the Holy Spirit in these days after the Revelation, is the one God grants the ability to read the scriptures with understanding. For, whatever that was written with the aid of the Spirit, would certainly need the aid of the same Spirit to understand.

As the time of writing of the Bible came to an end by the coming of the Book of Revelation, so also the format of writing the Bible, of which visions and prophecies were inclusive, came to end by the coming of the Book of Revelation. Hence the sealing up of visions and prophecies or the completion of visions and prophesies. So the same Spirit though, yet does not operate on the same format. For Visions and Prophecies were parts of writing format for the Bible. While the ability to digest the scripture is the work of the same Holy Spirit that goes beyond the era of writing the Bible, through the kingdom of Christ till the establishment of the Kingdom of God.
Unlike Love, Hope and Faith, that are meant to last for long, speaking in tongues, visions and prophecies were not meant to last for long, that is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 verse 8 to 13 that:

“Love never ends; but where there are prophecies (and visions) they will cease, where there are tongues they will be stilled, where there is knowledge (as it were before the Revelation) it will pass away. For we (those before the Revelation) know in part and prophesy in part, but when perfection (that brings fullness of knowledge, visions and prophecies which is the Book of Revelation) comes then the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like child, I reasoned like a child, when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now (before the Revelation) we (those before the Revelation) see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then (From the time of the Revelation) we (those before the Revelation) shall (but we after the Revelation) see face to face. Now (before the Revelation) I know in part, then (from the time of the Revelation) I shall know fully even as I am fully known. And now (the time that perfection comes, which is the Revelation) these three things remain faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

The perfection talked about here is the Book of Revelation that has brought fullness of knowledge, visions and prophecies. After the Revelation, it is these three things love, hope and faith that take believers through the rest of the world’s journey, until the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. For we need these three, while waiting for the second coming of Christ. After his coming, we would not need faith and hope again for they are only needed when in expectancy. For, faith is defined as:

For if the perfection here meant the second coming of Jesus Christ as many have assumed, then what would faith and hope be needed for, after his coming?

So the Great God, who alone is perfect, purposefully took John in the Spirit to heaven to have a direct or face to face view of the contents of the Revelation and wrote them down for us. Unlike previous times, when Paul said they knew in part, prophesied in part and saw like a poor reflection as in a mirror, which in those days was of a polished bronze, hence was not as clear as glass mirror of these days, John on the other hand did not see like a poor reflection as in a polished bronze mirror, but rather face to face because he was taken into heaven, the dwelling place of the Only Perfect Man that is the Almighty God, therefore giving us the perfection that Paul talked about.

So now, we who are living after the giving of the book of Revelation see face to face through the Revelation. Hence we know of many things that hither to the Revelation were obscure. Like the war of Armageddon, the 1000 years kingdom of Christ, Satan’s imprisonment, the first and the second resurrections, when exactly the great judgment day will be effected and many more.

Since the Revelation, all new converts are like the Ethiopian Eunuch who received his baptism and went home happily, and certainly gave what he received to new converts. For there was none of the elite who had the gift of the ability to lay hands on him so as to receive the Spirit (of speaking in different tongues), but irrespective of that, he went away happily because he knew that he was saved. To God the Almighty alone should glory, thanks and praises be given forever and ever through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen!

Neo Montanism

Now here is a short history of modern day Pentecostalism and Charismatism which as at AD.1800 were yet to take place and have no connections whatsoever with what took place and is recorded in the book of Acts.

It is said that; Recent Pentecostal History and Roots Pentecostalism is the ancient heresy of Montanism revived. What then is Montanism?

Montanism is named after a man called Montanus who became a convert to Christianity around A.D. 170. He lived in Asia Minor and prior to his conversion he was a priest in an Asiatic cult called Cybele. He claimed that he had the gift of prophecy, prophesying in an ecstatic state. Eusebius a church historian born around A.D. 260 to 270 wrote the following of Montanus:

‘In his lust for leadership, he became obsessed and would suddenly fall into frenzy and convulsion. He began to be ecstatic and speak and talk strangely and prophesied contrary to that which was the custom from the beginning of the church. Those who heard him were convinced that he was possessed. They rebuked him and forbade him to speak; remembering the warning of the Lord Jesus to be watchful because of false prophets would come’. (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5. 16)

Montanus was joined by two women Priscilla and Maximilla, who also claimed to have the gift of prophecy and also prophesied in an ecstatic state. This style of prophesying was likened to the same irrational ecstatic prophetic style that was part of Montanus’ life prior to his conversion when he was a priest of Cybele.
The question then is; Did Montanus really convert or was a wolf in sheep clothing?

Apolinarius of Hierapolis said of him as follows:

‘A recent convert, Montanus by name, through his unquenchable desire for leadership, gave the adversary (Satan) opportunity against him. And he became beside himself, and being suddenly in a sort of frenzy and ecstasy, he raved, and began to babble and utter strange things, prophesying in a manner contrary to the constant custom of the Church handed down by tradition from the beginning….. And he (Satan) stirred up besides two women, and filled them with the false spirit, so that they talked wildly and unreasonably and strangely, like the person (Montanus) already mentioned’

The Church rejected Montanus and the prophetesses and their prophecies. This rejection was based on the Biblical examples of other prophets. While Montanus, Priscilla and Maximilla were irrational when prophesying, prophets of the Bible were rational in their thinking and actions.

The rejection was based on comparing the Montanist false prophets with the Biblical examples of other prophets, not with some other contemporary prophets. Why because:

‘No prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets have appeared since the book of Revelation was given’

This happened some 15 years before Origen the man distinguished for the first complete Bible commentary, was born in AD 185, because the so called conversion of Montanus took place in AD. 170. However by the time Origen was matured, Montanism might have ceased some years back. Because Origen is not acquainted with prophets, and denies that they (prophets) existed even in the time of Celsus, a Greek philosopher and opponent of Christianity, who wrote his articles against Christianity around AD 177 to 178, in which he is purported to have claimed that:

‘Those prophets whom he had heard on being pressed by him, confessed their true motives, and acknowledged that the ambiguous words they used really meant nothing.

An allegation that was rebutted by Origen some 60 years later saying:

‘Celsus is not to be believed when he says that he has heard such men prophesy;

For no prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets have appeared in the time of Celsus. If there had been any, those who heard and admired them would have followed the example of the ancients, and recorded the prophecies in writing.’

It is true, because no prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets have appeared since the book of Revelation was given in AD. 69. However, Celsus might have encountered some false prophets from the Montanist movement, since the time of his writing is dated around AD 177 to 178, which was likely the prime time for Montanism, whose founder Montanus’ so called conversion took place in AD 170.
Seven or eight years from the time of Montanus’ ‘conversion’ apparently was prime time of Montanism.

So Celsus might have encountered some Montanist prophets and as a Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity, who had no respect for prophets and prophecies of the Bible and even for Jesus, to the extent of describing the passages of the prophecies of the Bible as ‘fanatical and utterly unintelligible passages,’ would not see the need to assess whether those ‘prophets’ he encountered were true or false prophets. After all, so far as he is concerned, prophecies are ‘fanatical and utterly unintelligible’ so without any exception, all prophets both those in the Bible and those that he encountered are the same. In other words, to him, the prophets of the Bible aren’t any better than the Montanist Prophets that he apparently encountered hence putting them on the same scale, therefore prompting Origen, to rebut some 60 years later that:

‘Celsus is not to be believed when he says that he has heard such men prophesy; for no prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets have appeared in the time of Celsus. If there had been any, those who heard and admired them would have followed the example of the ancients, and recorded the prophecies in writing. And it seems quite clear that Celsus is speaking falsely, when he says that those prophets whom he had heard (apparently false prophets from Montanism), on being pressed by him, confessed their true motives, and acknowledged that the ambiguous words they used really meant nothing. He ought to have given the names of those whom he says he had heard, if he had any to give, so that those who were competent to judge might decide whether his allegations were true or false.’ (See Contra Cels.VII. 11)

From the statement just read, it is clear that as at the time of Origen, AD 185 to AD. 253, there were no prophets and those who spoke in tongues. Because, if there had been any, Origen and others

‘Who heard and admired them, would have followed the example of the ancients, and would have recorded the prophecies in writing.’

This confirms that visions, prophecies and speaking in tongues do not function beyond AD 91 where the end of the 70 weeks decreed for the children of Israel, took place. So since the giving out the book of Revelation in AD 69, there has been
‘No prophets bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets’
Tell me if you knew of just one prophet bearing any resemblance to the ancient prophets, since the book of Revelation was given in AD. 69.

Early Roots of Neo Montanism:

1) 1830’s Edward Irving;
In the western world Pentecostalism generally traces its roots back to the teachings and experiences of Edward Irving, a Presbyterian Minister in Scotland in the early 1800’s. After studying the Book of Acts, he began to teach that what the early church experienced was to be normative for the church in his day (who did he think he was?). He was excommunicated from the Presbyterian Church over his heretical Christological doctrines. (Strachan, George, The Pentecostal Theology of Edward Irving, Hendrickson Publishers, 1973, pg. 13)

Edward Irving formed his own church called the Catholic Apostolic Church. On March 28th 1830, one Miss Mary Campbell began to speak in other tongues and claimed she was divinely healed. The following year on October 30th 1831 her sister, Mrs. Cardale also began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
Edward Irving ordained the first twelve apostles of his church on November 7th, 1832 (from whom came the authority for Irving to ordain apostles?). He also expounded a detailed teaching on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and gave the whole of his theology immediacy by his expectation of the immanent second coming of the Lord. (Strachan, George, The Pentecostal Theology of Edward Irving, Hendrickson Publishers, 1973, pg. 18)

He died shortly thereafter, but the movement he started, which became known as “Irvingites.” Edward Irving is to be considered among the first true Neo-Montanists, due to his beliefs: In the restoration of the charismatic gifts, including prophecy. His unwillingness to submit to recognized Church authority regarding his beliefs. His approval of women in ministry (coincidentally, women were the first to prophesy in his movement). His belief in the also immediate return of Christ, i.e. a strong eschatological emphasis.

Modern Roots: The 1901 Apostasy:

II) John Alexander Dowie;

Like Irving, Dowie was a minister from the same area. He was originally a Congregational Pastor, who subsequently left his denomination and formed his own called the “Christian Catholic Church.” (Burgess, McGee, Alexander, Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Zondervan Publishing House, 1988, pg. 249)

In 1901 he began to build a city of righteousness outside of Chicago which he named Zion. He believed that he was the first restored apostle to The Church, and later came to believe he was the prophet Elijah, the restorer, sent to pave the way for the return of Christ which he too believed was imminent. He taught that the Church would be fully restored to apostolic authority and power. His beliefs coupled with those of Edward Irving formed the initial platform for the rapid spread of Neo-Montanist beliefs which were soon launched globally.

Azusa Street Mission

III.William Seymour had been taught about receiving the baptism with the Holy Ghost, (i.e. the gift of speaking in other tongues) by Charles Fox Parham in Kansas. Parham had a small Bible school in which he taught the need for a restoration of New Testament Christianity based on the model shown in the book of Acts. In 1901, a woman, named Agnes Ozman was the first recorded tongue-talking Pentecostal in American Church history, and William Seymour received the baptism at some point while at Bible school under Parham. Seymour went to Los Angeles and began to preach about the Holy Spirit baptism in a barn/warehouse on Azusa. What

Eyewitness said about the Azusa Street Mission. All these men are respected Bible scholars

‘This new Pentecostal movement was “emphatically not of God, and founded by a Sodomite.” (And true to the words of Torrey, Parham was charged with Sodomy) (“From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire” by Michael L. Brown, pages 197&198)

H. A. Ironside said in 1912 AD that:

‘Both the holiness and Pentecostal movements were “disgusting. . .delusions and insanities.” … “Pandemonium’s where exhibitions worthy of a madhouse or a collection of howling dervishes,” were causing a “heavy toll of lunacy and infidelity.” (“From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire” by Michael L. Brown, pages 197&198)

W.B. Godbey said of the Azusa Street participants and he claimed that:

‘The movement was the result of spiritualism. Satan’s preachers, jugglers, necromancers, enchanters, magicians, and all sorts or mendicants,” (“From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire” by Michael L. Brown, pages 197&198)

Clarence Larkin:

“But the conduct of those possessed, in which they fall to the ground and writhe in contortions, causing disarrangement’s of the clothing and disgraceful scenes, is more a characteristic of demon possession, than a work of the Holy Spirit. From what has been said we see that we are living in “Perilous Times,” and that all about us are “Seducing Spirits,” and that they will become more active as the Dispensation draws to its close, and that we must exert the greatest care lest we be led astray.” (“From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire” by Michael L. Brown, pages 197&198)

These 5 well trained theologians were alive and active when the “Azusa Revival” began and they were well informed and had first-hand knowledge. Why is their testimony disregarded and the testimony of Biblically uneducated people accepted?
April 4, 1906 a revival began and 1,000’s of people came to 312 Azusa to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This revival lasted from 1906 to 1913 (Burgess, Stanley, Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Zondervan Publishers, 1988, pg. 31)

And during these nine years 1,000’s of Pentecostal missionaries went forth establishing ministries around the world.

In 1907, Parham was arrested and charged with sodomy in Texas and lost all credibility with the neo-Pentecostal movement he started! By the end of 1913 there were growing factions within the fledgling movement and in the end several independent Pentecostal organizations were formed due to not being able to resolve their leadership and doctrinal differences.

The Pentecostal and the Assemblies of God denominations grew out of the Azusa street revival and have become advocates.

So this is how modern Pentecostalism and Charismatism which have no link with what happened in the book of Acts began after 1800. And just like Irving, Dowie and Parham who taught the need for a restoration of New Testament Christianity based on the model shown in the book of Acts, and therefore formed the initial platform for the rapid spread of Neo-Montanism, their followers, also read the book of Acts with only eye opened and the other closed, so they see Holy Spirit baptism, however they fail to see that it is written that:

‘The Spirit (the ability to speak in different tongues) was given at the laying of the apostles’ hands,’ (8: 18- 20

Of whom even Philip was not inclusive, but the elite. So just like Clarence Larkin said:
“We are living in “Perilous Times,” and that all about us are “Seducing Spirits,” and that they will become more active as the Dispensation draws to its close, and that we must exert the greatest care lest we be led astray.” (“From Holy Laughter to Holy Fire” by Michael L. Brown, pages 197&198).

Larkin’s prediction has come to pass as the dispensation draws to its close. Seducing Spirits wearing the coat of the Holy Spirit have become more and more active and have caught up with the length and breadth of the globe so much so that it has even become odd to speak against, since one is seen as speaking against the Holy Spirit. However Larkin added these words of advice:

‘We must exert the greatest care lest we be led astray.”

By these seducing spirits wearing the coat of the Holy Spirit that are making people speak in tongues and prophesy. Events that no longer come from God after he has sealed up visions and prophecies with the book of Revelation.

Wonders in Heaven and on Earth

As for the statement:

“I will show wonders in heaven and on earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke, the sun will be turned into darkness and moon to blood.”
It is a figurative statement associated with predictions of divine judgments. This can be verified from Ezekiel Chapter 32 verse 1 to 16, Where Nebuchadnezzar’s conquest over Egypt is detailed in verses 7 and 8 as follows:

“When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars I will cover the sun with clouds and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you. I will bring darkness over your land”.
Physically, this did not take place in Egypt when Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt in those days, neither did it occur during Jerusalem’s destruction by the Roman Empire in AD 70, because they are just figurative statements associated with predictions of divine judgments.

While the first of such figurative statements recorded at Joel Chapter 2 verses 30 and 31, is in connection with Jerusalem’s destruction that took place in AD 70, a similar statement is made in Joel Chapter 3 verse 12 to 14. This time in connection with the destruction of the ungodly nations, that will give way to the restoration of the Israelites and the 1000 visionary years kingdom of Jesus Christ. It is stated as follows in Joel Chapter 3 verse 1 to 2:

“In those days and at that time when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against the nations concerning my inheritance my people Israel.
In Joel Chapter 3 verse 12:

“Let the nations be aroused, let them advance into the valley of Jehoshaphat there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side.”
And in Joel Chapter 3 verse 14:

“Multitudes! Multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon will be darkened and the stars no longer shine.”

A figurative statement associated with predictions of divine judgments and this time with the war in the valley of decision. The war in the valley of decision, otherwise the war in the valley of Jehoshaphat is the same as the war of Armageddon that brings destruction on the ungodly nations towards the end of the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles.

Analogy

What baffles many about the great and terrible day of the lord or what makes many find it difficult to accept that the great and terrible day of the Lord is the divine punishment that came on the Jews in AD 70, is that; it was predicted as the most severe punishment, ever meted and never to be equalled again. Do not let this baffle you; instead we should learn to accept things the way God wants us to.

Now, let us draw an analogy that would help us a lot. From creation down to the destruction of Jerusalem and the enslavement of the Jews into Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon Empire, a lot of divine punishments occurred. Examples are the flood of Noah’s days, the plague that hit the Egyptians which eventually forced them to free the Israelites, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra and many more. If we were asked to choose which one of them was the most severe among these, someone would have chosen the flood of Noah’s days, another, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra and yet still others would have come up with different choices. However, let us hear which one of them does the scripture says is the most severe among these. Daniel Chapter 9 verse 11 to 12 says that:

“All Israel has transgressed your laws and turned away refusing to obey you. Therefore the cursed and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses the Servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has been done like what has been done to Jerusalem.”

This depicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking of its children into the Babylonian captivity, as the most severe among these. So if the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking into captivity of its citizens by the Babylonian Empire, was rated as the most severe among these, then do not be surprised if the destruction of Jerusalem and the taking into captivity of its citizens by the Roman Empire in AD 70, which by far superseded that of the Babylonian Empire, is rated as the most severe punishment ever meted and never to be equalled. Jeremiah has this to add in Chapter 30 verse 7:

“How awful that day will be, none will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob” (Israel).

This is like saying that, the like of the divine judgment in question, has never been and it is not to be equalled. And Jeremiah says it would be a time of trouble for Israel.
Conclusion

So the Great and Terrible day of the Lord is nothing but the destruction meted out to the children of Israel by the Roman Empire in AD 70. That is why Jesus in Mathew Chapter 24 verse 16 to 18 said that:

“Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one on the roof of his house not go down to take anything out from the house. Let no one in the field return to the city (Jerusalem) to get his cloak.”

In fact, Mathew Chapter 24 verse 15 to 22 answers the first of the three questions that Jesus disciples asked him that prompted the answers that Jesus gave from Mathew Chapter 24 verse 4 to 51. The questions are three, so in response Jesus gave three suitable answers together. It is up to us to discern where answers which. The questions are:

1. “Tell us when will this be?” In other words, when would the Temple and for that matter Jerusalem as a whole be destroyed?

2. And what will be the sign of your coming?

3. And (the signs) of the close of the age (Mt 24:3)

In fact it was the beauty of the Temple, which Jesus’ disciples drew his attention to, that prompted the whole dialogue. Then Jesus in response to the beauty of the Temple told them:

“You see all these, do you not? Truly I say to you there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down”. (Mt 24:1-2)
It was this answer that Jesus gave concerning the destruction of the Temple that made his disciples later on Mount Olive asked those three questions that are:

1. “Tell us when will this (The Temple and Jerusalem’s destruction) be?

2. And what will be the signs of your coming?

3. And (the signs) of the close of the age?”

And his answer in respect to the first question is what we have at Mathew Chapter 24 verse 15 to 22, where he advised them to run away to the mountains as soon as they see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place. In other words, they should run away to the mountains as soon as they see the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem.

“For great distress shall be upon the land (of Judea) and the wrath of God against this people (the Jews) they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations and Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles until the appointed times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:20- 24)

And it is the duration of the appointed times of the Gentiles, which as at the time of Jesus was yet to begin, that has been given as 2300 years, with its toughest part been the first 1260 years. If the great and terrible day of the Lord was something of a worldwide destruction, then the advice of Jesus Christ at this place is basically useless. Because fleeing to the mountains or remaining in the countryside will be of no advantage to anything of a worldwide destruction.

The Great Tribulation

While the Great and Terrible day of the Lord is the divine judgment meted on the Jews in AD 70 by the Roman Empire, the Great tribulation, whose meaning, many have confused it with that of the Great and Terrible day of the Lord, depicts the persecutions on Jews and Christians throughout the appointed times of the Gentiles, whose duration is 2300 years. That is from AD 91 down to about the year 2358 where it is believe that the real restoration will be done for the Jews, which will be in collaboration with the 1000 years kingdom of Christ. (Dan. 8:14. 2 Thess 2:1; 3)

Because the Great tribulation era, is the appointed times of the Gentiles, the time when Satan through his agent—the little horn of Daniel Chapters 7 and 8, the one who is the Ultimate ruler in Daniel Chapter 9 verses 26 and 27, and the beast himself—the principal character in Revelation Chapters 13, 14 and 17, who is the man of lawlessness at 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 3. Also with the help of the second beast of the Book of Revelation—the false prophet, tries to cause all the inhabitants of the earth to rebel against the Almighty God. Therefore all the righteous ones who resist the satanic activities are severely dealt with by way of persecution.

So right from AD 91 when the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles began, which is the rebellion era, down to the time that the 2300 years appointed times of the Gentiles will come to an end around the year 2358, all those who manage to resist the satanic activities are those that it is said of them in Revelation Chapter 7 verse 9 to 17 that:

“They have come out of the Great Tribulation.”

Which Satan through his agent the beast that is the Antigod, assisted by the second beast, who is the false prophet, caused. These over-comers will be members of the first resurrection. Because Revelation Chapter 20 verses 4 to 5 says:

“They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life again and reign with Christ for a thousand (visionary) years. The rest of the dead will not come to life until the thousand (visionary) years are over.”

Though there had been tribulations from creation down the line on godly men, yet the greatest is the one that covers the span of 2300 years rebellion era. That is why it is known as the Great Tribulation.

The toughest part of it is the first 1260 years from AD 91. When the rebellion or the appointed times of the Gentiles began by the establishment of the Occult of Emperor’s worship that became the basis for persecuting Jews and Christians. The peak of it will be toward the end of the 2300 years, when the war of Armageddon will be fought.

So the Great and Terrible day of the Lord means the divine judgment that came on the Jews in AD 70. While the Great Tribulation is the persecution on Jews and Christians as from AD 91, until around the year 2358, when there will be the real restoration for the Jews, which will be in collaboration with the 1000 visionary years kingdom of Christ.

Website Visitors

Now On YouTube!

The Stages of Truth

“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer- 1788-1860

Myth- The Enemy Of Truth

"The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest- but the myth- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." ~ John F. Kennedy

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Archives

Archives

Truth Endures Every Age

"The real advantage which truth has, consists in this, that when an opinion is true, it may be extinguished once, twice, or many times, but in the course of ages there will generally be found persons to rediscover it, until some one of its reappearances falls on a time when from favourable circumstances it escapes persecution until it has made such head as to withstand all subsequent attempts to suppress it." ~ John Stuart Mill

The Last Angel’s Warning of Revelation

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God." ~ Revelation 14:9

After this Warning- God tells us what it means to belong to Him

"Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." ~ Revelation 14:12

What Will You Decide?

Hear the Warning? God's Commandments are the determining factor between the Seal of God, and the Mark of the Beast. What commandments will you obey?